The mission of the university is to make a contribution in the areas of education and scholarship, for the church and society. As a free-church, Adventist institution they are aligned with reformatory tradition and innovative thinking. Their research and teaching are thus based on scientific methods, a fundamental openness towards unforeseen results, and responsibility towards God and humanity.

Profile
As a university with a special profile, they concentrate on those disciplines which are concerned with service towards people. Their areas of focus are theology, social sciences, development cooperation and health sciences. They see themselves as an international university, committed to interculturalism and equal opportunities, and carrying on a history of long-lasting relationships with countries in every continent.

Community
They are a campus university. This means that their teachers, employees and students form a trusting, tolerant, multicultural and cooperative community. They wish to give holistic support to all members of this community. Here equality between men and women is a basic fact, as is respect for other religions, worldviews and cultures. As a family-friendly university, they wish to create conditions which make it easier to reconcile study, profession and family. The spacious layout of the campus with its natural setting also contributes to this.

They undertake to teach students the fundamentals of the relevant field of scholarship, as well as dealing with current contributions to research. The objective of their teaching is to combine skills in research and in the application, ensuring that their graduates always work to high standards and satisfy the demands of their areas of responsibility. They also offer further education and professional development, following the principle of lifelong learning. University teachers and students contribute to the scholarly discourse with publications. Their teaching and research, which form a single unit, are based on Christian ethics and have a holistic, interdisciplinary focus.

Society and spirituality
They are convinced that faith, education and lifestyle are inseparable. They strive to reflect, in their actions, a spirituality based on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They, therefore, foster the personal development of identity by encouraging and enabling self-reflection. Their aim is also to provide a constructive and critical commentary on the development of the Church and society. This is their comprehensive understanding of their mission and the way they as a university community seek to fulfil it.